The Vugar Gashimov Memorial tournament was held in Shamkir, Azerbaijan last month. The event was held to commemorate the premature death of one that country and the world's leading players, who died of a brain tumour aged 27 earlier this year. World Champion Magnus Carlsen of Norway was the out and out favourite in the A group. Despite the elite field of six grandmasters, there was a gap of almost 100 rating points down to second seed and world number four, Fabiano Caruana of Italy.
Carlsen's results completely dominated the event. Starting with two wins, there was speculation he would cross the 2900 rating barrier by the end. However, he ended the first half with two losses and there was talk of collapse. Carlsen then rallied in the second half, starting with two more wins to retake the lead. Todays' game is the critical last round return game between the co-leaders. Carlsen, playing White, avenged his loss to Caruana in the first half of the tournament to take first place on 6½/10, a point clear of Caruana in second place. Third equal were Teimour Radjabov (Azerbaijan), Sergey Karjakin (Russia) and Hikaru Nakamura (USA) on 5, followed by Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (Azerbaijan) on 3 points.
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.g3 Bg7 4.Bg2 c5 5.c3 d5 6.dxc5 O-O 7.O-O a5 8.Be3!? Nc6!?
White's opening is an anti-Gruenfeld system that avoids heavily studied paths. The pawn on c3 means means White threatens to keep the c5 pawn, as support by b2-b4 is available. Black decides to abandon the pawn and focus on play in the centre on the kingside, though 8... Na6 9. Na3 Ng4 should have lead to the eventual recapture of c5. 9.Na3 a4 10.Qc1 e5
Gaining ground in the centre, but also allowing the white knight into d6. 11.Rd1 Qe7 12.Nb5 Be6 13.Ng5 Bg4 14.Nd6 h6
While 14... Bxe2 would regain the pawn, Black's central pawns would come under intense pressure after 15. Re1. 15.Nf3 Kh7 16.h3
Carlsen criticised this move in favour of the immediate 16. b4. 16... Be6 17.b4 axb3 18.axb3 Rxa1 19.Qxa1 Ne4!
A resource that would have been impossible without 16... Be6 defending d5. 20.Nd2
The attractive looking 20. c4?! is met by 20... d4! 21. Nxe4 dxe3 22. fxe3 f5 23. Nd6 e4 24. Nd4 Bg8 and White's knights are no help in defending his kingside weaknesses. 20... f5?
A mistake. 20... Nxd6 21. cxd6 Qxd6 22. Nc4 Qe7 23. Bxd5 Bxh3 retains the balance. 21.N2xe4 dxe4 22.Qb1 f4 23.Bd2 e3 24.Be1 Bf5
Black's impressive pawn mass in fact poses no threat: 24... exf2+ 25. Bxf2 fxg3 26. Bxg3 Qg5 27. Kh2 Qe3 28. Qd3 Qxc5 29. b4 Qb6 30. Be4 and it is White who goes on the attack. 25.Qc1 h5 26.fxe3! fxg3 27.Bxg3 Qg5 28.e4!
By returning a pawn, White exchanges Black's more dangerous bishop, retains his knight outpost, gets rid of his useless e-pawns and exposes the black king. 28... Qxg3 29.Rd3 Qh4 30.exf5 gxf5 31.e4 fxe4 32.Bxe4+ Kh8 33.Qe3 Rf4 34.Bg2 Qe7 35.Qe2 Qh4 36.b4 e4!?
The only chance to generate counterthreats, else White's queenside pawns win easily. 37.Nxe4 Ne5 38.Rd5 Kg8 39.b5 Rf5 40.c6 bxc6 41.bxc6 Qe7 42.Nd6 Rg5 43.Nb5 Qe6!?
Hopeless is 43... Nxc6 44. Qxe7 Rxg2+ 45. Kxg2 Nxe7 46. Rxh5 etc. Instead Black prepares a final devious trap. 44.Rd8+ Kh7 45.Qe4+ Rg6 46.c7 Qa6 47.c8=Q Qa1+ 48.Kf2!
Avoiding 48. Kh2?? reaching the position in today's diagram, when Black mates by 48... Nf3+! 48... Qb2+ 49.Ke1 Resigns
World Champion too good in Shamkir
Problem: Black to play and mate in 3.
The Vugar Gashimov Memorial tournament was held in Shamkir, Azerbaijan last month. The event was held to commemorate the premature death of one that country and the world's leading players, who died of a brain tumour aged 27 earlier this year. World Champion Magnus Carlsen of Norway was the out and out favourite in the A group. Despite the elite field of six grandmasters, there was a gap of almost 100 rating points down to second seed and world number four, Fabiano Caruana of Italy.
Carlsen's results completely dominated the event. Starting with two wins, there was speculation he would cross the 2900 rating barrier by the end. However, he ended the first half with two losses and there was talk of collapse. Carlsen then rallied in the second half, starting with two more wins to retake the lead. Todays' game is the critical last round return game between the co-leaders. Carlsen, playing White, avenged his loss to Caruana in the first half of the tournament to take first place on 6½/10, a point clear of Caruana in second place. Third equal were Teimour Radjabov (Azerbaijan), Sergey Karjakin (Russia) and Hikaru Nakamura (USA) on 5, followed by Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (Azerbaijan) on 3 points.
1.d4 Nf6
2.Nf3 g6
3.g3 Bg7
4.Bg2 c5
5.c3 d5
6.dxc5 O-O
7.O-O a5
8.Be3!? Nc6!?
White's opening is an anti-Gruenfeld system that avoids heavily studied paths. The pawn on c3 means means White threatens to keep the c5 pawn, as support by b2-b4 is available. Black decides to abandon the pawn and focus on play in the centre on the kingside, though 8... Na6 9. Na3 Ng4 should have lead to the eventual recapture of c5.
9.Na3 a4
10.Qc1 e5
Gaining ground in the centre, but also allowing the white knight into d6.
11.Rd1 Qe7
12.Nb5 Be6
13.Ng5 Bg4
14.Nd6 h6
While 14... Bxe2 would regain the pawn, Black's central pawns would come under intense pressure after 15. Re1.
15.Nf3 Kh7
16.h3
Carlsen criticised this move in favour of the immediate 16. b4.
16... Be6
17.b4 axb3
18.axb3 Rxa1
19.Qxa1 Ne4!
A resource that would have been impossible without 16... Be6 defending d5.
20.Nd2
The attractive looking 20. c4?! is met by 20... d4! 21. Nxe4 dxe3 22. fxe3 f5 23. Nd6 e4 24. Nd4 Bg8 and White's knights are no help in defending his kingside weaknesses.
20... f5?
A mistake. 20... Nxd6 21. cxd6 Qxd6 22. Nc4 Qe7 23. Bxd5 Bxh3 retains the balance.
21.N2xe4 dxe4
22.Qb1 f4
23.Bd2 e3
24.Be1 Bf5
Black's impressive pawn mass in fact poses no threat: 24... exf2+ 25. Bxf2 fxg3 26. Bxg3 Qg5 27. Kh2 Qe3 28. Qd3 Qxc5 29. b4 Qb6 30. Be4 and it is White who goes on the attack.
25.Qc1 h5
26.fxe3! fxg3
27.Bxg3 Qg5
28.e4!
By returning a pawn, White exchanges Black's more dangerous bishop, retains his knight outpost, gets rid of his useless e-pawns and exposes the black king.
28... Qxg3
29.Rd3 Qh4
30.exf5 gxf5
31.e4 fxe4
32.Bxe4+ Kh8
33.Qe3 Rf4
34.Bg2 Qe7
35.Qe2 Qh4
36.b4 e4!?
The only chance to generate counterthreats, else White's queenside pawns win easily.
37.Nxe4 Ne5
38.Rd5 Kg8
39.b5 Rf5
40.c6 bxc6
41.bxc6 Qe7
42.Nd6 Rg5
43.Nb5 Qe6!?
Hopeless is 43... Nxc6 44. Qxe7 Rxg2+ 45. Kxg2 Nxe7 46. Rxh5 etc. Instead Black prepares a final devious trap.
44.Rd8+ Kh7
45.Qe4+ Rg6
46.c7 Qa6
47.c8=Q Qa1+
48.Kf2!
Avoiding 48. Kh2?? reaching the position in today's diagram, when Black mates by 48... Nf3+!
48... Qb2+
49.Ke1 Resigns
1-0
Solution: 1... Nf3+! 2. Qxf3 (2. Bxf3 Qg1#) 2... Be5+ 3. Qg3 (3. Qf4 Bxf4#) 3... Bxg3#.